8 Budget-Friendly Tips for Green Warehousing

Did you know that buildings contribute two-thirds of the carbon footprint we’re constantly creating? Greening up your existing warehouse—using sustainable practices, products and procedures—can reduce your facility’s carbon footprint, lessen consumption and lower energy costs. Not to mention, good environmental citizenship also creates positive public relations and customer goodwill…and because it’s the right thing to do. However, going green isn’t just altruistic; it really can make dollars and sense! Many green warehousing and building techniques may be more expensive in terms of initial investment, but they will quickly pay for themselves through energy cost savings.
Here are seven tips for becoming greener without going into the red:

4. Cool Roofs

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Cool Roofs are roofs consisting of materials that very effectively reflect the sun’s energy from the roof surface, thereby reducing the amount of heat absorbed into the building below. Cool roofs can also increase heating costs in winter months, but this increase is usually greatly outweighed by the energy savings achieved during summer months. While it is true that cool roofs are mostly associated with white roofs, they come in a variety of colors and materials and are available for both commercial and residential buildings.

7. Reuse/Recycle

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You probably reuse pallets, but consider re-using cardboard and other packing materials as well. Implementing a returnable packaging system can also be a good solution. If you increase the life of the packaging and make it easy for customers to return (e.g., collapsible packaging or perhaps pre-paid freight), the packaging can be reused many times, reducing waste and saving money.
If you can’t reuse, recycle! Sending used packaging and packing material to recycling facilities rather than waste facilities is the environmentally correct thing to do.